Regulator unit and mounting



- 'B. M. LEECE 2,314,225

IT AND MOUNTING March 16, 1943.

' REGULATOR UN Filed Nov. 18, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v I BY fiENNErT M LEEc'a ATTORNEYE' B. M. LEECE 2,314,225

AND MOUNTING March 16, 1943.

REGULATOR UNIT Filed Nov. 18, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 I INVENTOR. BY BENNETT/1 LE'ECE ATTORNEYj Patented Mar. 16, 1943 UNITED 2,314,225 REGULATOR UNIT AND MOUNTING Bennett M. Leece, Shaker Heights, Ohio, assignor to The Leece-Neville Company, Cleveland, Ohi

a corporation of Ohio Application November 18, 1941,

2 Claims. (Cl. 173-328) This invention relates to electrical regulating devices and their mountings, and, as its principal object, aims to provide an improvement in apparatus of this kind in which a panel permanently connected with a motor vehicle and with the external regulator circuits forms a mount for detachably supporting a regular unit and operatively connecting the same with said external circuits.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus of this kind in which an electrical regulator can be connected with or disconnected from its external circuits merely by applying the regulator unit to or removing the same from an insulating panel forming a mount for the regulator unit.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved apparatus, of the character referred to, embodying novel means forming a releasable connection between the regulator unit and the panel.

The invention may be further briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and particularly set out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved regulator unit and mount;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is an end view thereof Fig. 4 is a plan view, partly diagrammatic in form, showing the mount with the regulator unit removed and also showing the external regulator circuits connected to the mounts; and

Fig. 5 is a partial longitudinal sectional view taken through the regulator unit and mount substantially as indicated by line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Reference will now be made in greater detail to the regulator unit and mounting shown in the drawings, but it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited to the particular apparatus herein disclosed but includes various claims.

I show a regulator unit In and a panel ll forming a mount for detachably supporting the regulator unit and connecting the same with its external circuits. The regulator unit l0 may be any one or various kinds of electrical regulating devices, such as a voltage regulator of the electromagnetic type adapted to be used with the generator which supplies current to the auxiliaries of an aircraft or other motor vehicle.

In the drawings this kind coming.

Serial No. 419,608

The regulator unit l0 shown in this instance comprises a plate-like base l2, and a resistor unit 13 and a relay M carried by such base. The resistor unit l3 may be supported directly on the upper side of the base and the relay pwardly and laterally extending iii of the base. The relay may comprise a magnet coil l6 and an armature l'l adapted to be moved Or vibrated by the magnet coil to cause opening and closing of pairs of cooperating contacts l8 and I9 by which the control functions of the regulator unit are made effective. When is a voltage regulator being used with a shunt generator, the resistance contained in the resistor unit l3 may be intermittently connected into and disconnected from the shunt field circuit of the generator by the opening and closing of one pair of said contacts. The regulator unit may also include a fuse block 20 mounted on the base l2 and carrying a fuse 20a which is suitably connected electrically with the other parts of the regulator unit.

The panel H may comprise a plate-like body of insulating material which may be more or less permanently connected with an available supporting portion 22 of the structure or an aircraft or other motor vehicle. This panel may be rectangular in shape and of a size to conveniently receive the regulator unit l0 thereon and may be connected with the supporting structure 22 by screws 23 located at the four corners of the panel. The connections between the panel and the supporting structure 22 prererably include insulating spacers 24 surrounding the screws and located between the panel and supporting structure. These connections may also. include vibration-absorbing bushings 25, formed of soft rubber or other resilient material, which surround the screws 23 at. their point of connection withrthe panel H and are retained in openings 25a of the panel by the clamping plates Ila so as to permit relative tilting between the screws and the panel.

The regulator unit I0 may be referred to as a plug-in regulator because, when it has been applied to the panel II, it is electrically connected with the external regulator circuits and the mere disconnecting of the regulator unit from the panel, for testing, repairing or other purposes, removes the regulator from such external circuits without disturbing any of the wiring and can be accomplished even by an unid the panel H is reliably connectinl v skilled workman. To this provided with means tor d the regulator the regulator unit therewith both mechanically and electrically.

For the purpose of the electrical connections to the regulator unit, I provide the panel II with a plurality of terminal posts 21 which are more These terminal members are located on the base l2 so as to engage the appropriate contact elements 28 of the panel I l to may be arranged in groups corresponding with the grouping of the contact elements 28 of the panel.

sired, the contact elements which rivets are spaced from the terminal posts 21 and prevent the contact elements from swinging about such posts.

The mechanical means for detachably connecting the regulator unit It) with the panel ll may assume various forms. In this instance I show the panel provided with a pair of slotted ears 36 adjacent one side or edge thereof and a pair of resilient latch members 31 adjacent the other side or edge thereof. For cooperation with the ears 36 and the latch members 37, I provide the base l2 of the regulator unit with a pair of laterally extending lugs 38 at one side or edge thereof and a pair of upstanding lugs 39 adjacent the opposite side or edge After the lugs 38 have been engaged in the slots of the cars 36, the regulator unit can be swung tion beneath the hook-like portions 31a of the resilient latch members 31. When this has occurred, the regulator unit will be firmly but reient contact elements will then be electrically connected with its external circuits.

lugs 38 from the slots of the ears 36.

In Fig. 4 I have shown the terminal posts 2'! of the panel connected with the external circuits of the regulator unit. Although various of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: I. In apparatus of the character described, an

an upstanding at the opposite panel having terminals thereon for permanent connection with the external regulator circuits and also having spring contact elements condiate the sides make electrical connection with the terminal of the regulator is connected with said panel, a slotted lug on said panel adjacent one side thereof adapted to receive said laterally projecting lug to form a hinge connection between panel, said panel having at the side opposite said slotted luga second lug adapted to engage the corresponding side of said base for retaining said projecting lug engaged in said slotted lug.

releasable locking engagement with said up standing lug, for retaining ment with said second lug.

2. In apparatus of the character described, an

electrical regulator unit, having a base provided with a group 0 from the bottom diate the sides of the base, said terminal mem bers being insulated from each other and electrically connected with the regulator, a support for the regulator unit comprising a panel formed of insulating material and adapted to be mounted on a motor vehicle, said panel having terminals thereon for permanent connection with the external regulator circuits and also having an opening intermediate its sides of a size to freely receive said group of terminal members,

located intermea plurality of spring fingers connected with said terminals and the panel with portions of said into said opening so as to be automatically engaged by said terminal members of the regulator unit when the latter is connected with said panel, a slotted upstanding lug on the panel at one side thereof and a second upstanding lug on the panel at the opposite side thereof, said base being of a width to be snugly received between said upstanding lugs and itself having a laterally extending lug engageable in said slotted lug, and a spring latch on said panel and engageable with the base for releasably retaining said base between said lugs.

underside oi BENNETT M. LEECE.

1. terminal members projecting 

